Preface; Acknowledgements; List of Figures and Tables; List of Abbreviations; Introduction; Chapter 1 Understanding Women in Faith-Based Volunteering: Gender, Religion and Civil Society Factors; Chapter 2 Profiles of Targeted Organizations and Volunteer Groups: Shinnyoen, Risshō Kōseikai and the Roman Catholic Church; Chapter 3 Women Volunteers in Faith-Based Groups: A Profile; Chapter 4 Visions of Self and Society: Women's Voices; Chapter 5 Volunteering in a Faith-Based Group:The Elusive Role of Religiosity
Chapter 6 Exploring Women's Trajectories of Self in Faith-Based Volunteer GroupsConclusion; Appendix A: The Survey Process; Appendix B: List of Interviewees; Appendix C: Connecting Sites: External Actors; Bibliography; Index
Summary
Promising Practices explores the ways women's participation in contemporary Japanese religious civic organizations can work as a gateway toward participatory democracy and presents new perspectives on values and social interactions that embed democracy in the everyday women's lives